The Holy Gottsreich
'General Information' ' ' The Holy Gottsreich is a powerful Empire located to the west on the Oddegar continent, boasting a thriving economy and a strong, well-trained and well-equipped military. During the reign of King Hans Eberhart, the country has begun imperial expansion through the conquest of foreign nations to the north and south of its borders, but that endeavour has yet to resume after the recent civil war that has taken place in the country. It has been a little over half a year since the civil war between royalist forces and the rebel army of Duke Heinrich Altstadt has ended. Duke Heinrich, the treasonous uncle of the 12-year-old King Caspar II Eberhart, has been imprisoned in the Capital, Reichdorf, and his Duchy Morgenland has been seized by the Royalist Army. Heinrich’s treasonous allies are in disarray and most of them have been captured or have surrendered. Pockets of resistance still plague the land and displaced peasants and lesser nobility alike have taken to banditry and violence to survive. Thieving hedge knights roam the Kaiseroad, murdering and robbing travellers while peasants-turned-bandits and brigands control lesser roads and forests. The entire Kingdom is in chaos as its boy King feebly attempts to maintain control and rebuild an indebted country on fire Social Hierarchy The Gottsreich adheres to a strict social hierarchy. It is best to learn your place within it, and how to address people above you. The following is a list of titles and how to address them from most powerful to least: * King: '''His Holy Imperial Majesty * '''Queen: '''Her Holy Imperial Majesty * '''Prince: '''His Imperial Highness * '''Princess: '''Her Imperial Highness * '''Chancellor: '''His Holy Grace * '''Pontiff: '''His Holiness * '''Duke: '''His Grace * '''Duchess: '''Her Grace * '''Cardinal: '''His Eminence * '''Count: '''His Excellency * '''Countess: '''Her Excellency * '''Bishop: '''His Excellency * '''Baron: '''His Excellency * '''Baroness: '''Her Excellency * '''High Priest: '''Holy Father * '''Holy Knight: '''Holy Ser * '''Landed Knight: '''Ser * '''Hedge Knight: '''Ser * '''Priest: '''Father * '''Burgher (Rich Merchant): '''Mister * '''Friar: '''Brother * '''Nun: '''Sister * '''Commoner:''' you are most likely here.'' *'''Peasant: No specific title Nobility '''Great Houses' There are 5 Great Houses in the Gottsreich, each of them in control of a duchy that splits the country into 5 duchies. The Great Houses are the most wealthy and successful Houses in the country.' ' House Eberhart House Altstadt House de Savoie House Revelstoke House von Gruber Lesser Houses House Wimpffen House Jorrel House Hobbes The Civil War ' '''The civil war started shortly after the late King Hans Eberhart succumbed to illness and led to an untimely death. Believing that King Hans’ young son Caspar II was an illegitimate bastard, the Chancellor, Heinrich the Duke of Morgenland, staged a coup in an attempt to seize the throne for himself. Duke Heinrich captured Reichdorf by surprise and marched his main army from Morgenland north to Roarchumberland in order to take control of its Roarchwood supply - a valuable asset in defensive and offensive fortifications for its resilience to cannon shot. In a simultaneous manoeuvre, Heinrich’s allies in Stolland, backed by Stolland’s many mercenary companies, (which make up over half of Stolland’s army), marched on Chambery, torching its vast southern fields of wheat in their wake. King Caspar II immediately declared the Duchy of Stolland treasonous as well. It was Geldmark, Chambery and Roarchumberland against Morgenland and Stolland. In a bold counter-attack, the banners of Geldmark marched upon Reichdorf and reclaimed the city-state from Duke Heinrich’s outnumbered reserve army. Meanwhile, Duke Klaus von Gruber’s forces were marching upon Metz, large city in southern Chambery. Metz, however, was only besieged for 3 months until von Gruber’s army was attacked by surprise from the right flank by King Caspar II’s forces who had made their way to Chambery after retaking Reichdorf. Duke Klaus’ army routed after the some hours of resistance now known as the Battle of Metz and made a swift retreat back south to Piersloft, then Sigishold in Stolland. Duke Heinrich’s army had been pushed back by Roarchumberland and half of King Caspar II’s army from Roarchumberland to southern Morgenland, where it was decided that the rebel army would retreat to Sigishold. With the four combined armies of the Crownlands, House Eberhart, De Savoie and Revelstoke, King Caspar II laid a 7-month siege for Sigishold, where the rebel army finally surrendered after being nearly completely starved out. '''Major Battles of the Civil War' The Coup - The Reichdorf Coup 16th of Farmer’s Toil, 1564 (Morgenland Victory) Morgenland Marches on Roarchumberland - The Battle of North Saltmarsh 23rd of Farmer’s Toil, 1564 (Morgenland Victory) - The Battle of Roarchwald 42nd of Farmer’s Toil, 1564 (Morgenland Victory) - The Battle of Sylvanshire 16th of Maiden’s Joy, 1564 (Roarchumberland Victory) Stolland Marches on Chambery - The Skirmish for Piersloft 27th of Farmer’s Toil, 1564 (Chambery Victory) - The Sack of Piersloft 34th of Farmer’s Toil, 1564 (Stolland Victory) - The Siege of Metz 2nd of Maiden’s Joy, 1564 (Stalemate) Geldmark Marches on Reichdorf - The Battle for Reichdorf 45th of Maiden’s Joy, 1564 (Geldmark Victory) Geldmark aids Chambery - The Battle of Metz 6th of The Grand Harvest, 1564 (Geldmark-Chambery Victory) - The Pursuit to Piersloft 8th-10th of The Grand Harvest, 1564 (Stolland Tactical Victory) Geldmark aids Roarchumberland - The Second Battle of North Saltmarsh 12th of Grand Harvest, 1564 (Geldmark-Roarchumberland Victory) - The Battle of the Brunwald 23rd to 47th of Grand Harvest, 1564 (Geldmark-Roarchumberland Phyrric Victory) - The Battle of Ludenbrugge 8th of Swan’s Retreat, 1564 (Geldmark-Roarchumberland Victory) Geldmark, Chambery and Roarchumberland Invade Stolland - The Siege of Sigishold 15th Frosts Touch, 1564 to the 32nd of The Grand Harvest, 1565 (Royalist Victory, Rebellion Surrender) Recent Events The civil war has all but ended in the recent months after the Royalist forces snuffed out the rebellion in the siege of Sigishold. The capture and imprisonment of Dukes Heinrich Altstadt and Klaus von Gruber have left the remains of the rebel army in disarray, scattered throughout the Duchies of Morgenwood and Stolland. In its wake, the war has left thousands of peasants and commoners displaced and homeless. Entire farmer’s fields have been torched and the year’s harvest has fallen short. Peasants and lesser nobility alike have taken to banditry and poaching along the roads and outside of towns in order to feed themselves, murdering helpless travellers for scraps of food and clothing. The Coachmen, protectors of the Kaiseroad, with the assistance of the Royalist army have been executing and imprisoning people en masse for such crimes, hoping to discourage further rebellious intent as well as banditry. Hanged corpses line the Kaiseroad for miles and miles, crows and other carrion birds constantly circling above, their black swarms mimicking the curves and directions of the Kaiseroad in the sky.